Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain has repeatedly denied allegations that he sexually harassed a number of women in the 1990s, but the trade group where he was CEO at the time now acknowledges there was at least one financial settlement after an internal complaint was filed.

Joel Bennett, a lawyer for one of the women who complained about Cain’s behavior in 1999, pushed the association to allow his client to release a statement, despite a confidentiality agreement.

“She made a complaint in good faith about a series of inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances from the CEO,” Bennett said in the statement, which does not identify the woman by name.

The National Restaurant Association confirmed the complaint and a subsequent settlement.

“Based upon the information currently available, we can confirm that more than a decade ago, in July 1999, Mr. Bennett’s client filed a formal internal complaint, in accordance with the association’s existing policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment,” the group said in a statement.

The group said Cain disputed the allegations and that the settlement did not include “any admission of liability.”

“Mr. Cain was not a party to that agreement,” the association’s statement reads.

“We look forward to focusing our attention on the real issues impacting this country, like fixing this broken economy and putting Americans back to work through our ‘9-9-9’ plan, as well as strengthening national security.”

The settlement first came to light Sunday night, when POLITICO reported that two women received settlements after complaining about incidents involving Cain. The restaurant group declined to respond, saying they cannot comment on personnel matters.

The confirmation Friday afternoon puts Cain in a difficult position. He has maintained that the negative media attention stems from racism, his political rivals and his success in the polls. He initially said he had no recollection of settlements at all.

On Friday afternoon, Cain reiterated in a speech before a friendly audience in Washington that he believes negative media attention is an outgrowth of his success on the campaign trail.

“I have attracted a little bit of attention, and there was an article in The New York Times today that has attempted to attract some more attention,” Cain said at an Americans for Prosperity event, Defending the American Dream. “That’s what starts to happen when you show up near or at the top of the polls.”

Cain’s criticism of the Times did not appear to reference recent stories about women who alleged he sexually harassed them during the 1990s or those about allegations that his campaign might have been kick-started by illegal campaign contributions.

He specifically cited a story that notes his relationship with the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers.

“The article tries to make a case of how close the Koch brothers and I are. I’m very proud to know the Koch brothers,” Cain said. “This may be a breaking news announcement for the news media. I am the Koch brothers’ brother from another mother”

The conservative crowd cheered throughout Cain’s speech, in a solid display of support for the candidate, who has had a tough week in the headlines.

While Cain has repeatedly insisted in interviews this week that nothing inappropriate happened between him and women who worked with him at the National Restaurant Association, POLITICO reported new details Thursday night that discussions were held in the highest levels of the organization about his alleged behavior.

One of Cain’s accusers made a verbal complaint to an association board member after she said Cain made a sexual overture to her at a work function, sources said. One source said the woman “perceived that her job was at risk if she didn’t do it.”

POLITICO also reported that one woman who left the association after making sexual harassment allegations against Cain received about $45,000 as part of her settlement, a dollar figure that conflicts with Cain’s claims that she received the equivalent of a few months’ pay.

The New York Times also reported more details Thursday, including claims by one accuser that the workplace became hostile after she reported that Cain had made advances toward her. The woman left the NRA in May 1998 and received a settlement of one year’s salary. The amount of that settlement was first reported by the Times.

Meanwhile, Cain is not sitting idly by. Americans for Cain, the super PAC supporting Cain’s presidential bid, released a Web video that calls the allegations against Cain part of a “high-tech lynching,” comparing him to Clarence Thomas, who faced scrutiny during his Supreme Court confirmation.

Cain’s wife, Gloria Cain, is not scheduled to appear on Fox News on Friday night, though she had been in talks about a possible appearance.

While Cain is facing new questions over the damaging allegations, he remains at the top of the polls. A Washington Post/ABC News poll out Friday has Cain holding steady at 23 percent, just one point behind Mitt Romney.

The poll also showed that so far, voters are not swayed by the charges: 55 percent of those polls said the allegations against Cain were not serious.

While Cain’s poll numbers continue to track steady, his campaign says fundraising has skyrocketed since POLITICO’s original story Sunday night.

In broadcast interviews, both Cain and Block have said that their fundraising totals get better each day, and represent the campaign’s best single-day fundraising.

As of Friday morning, his Iowa Fund had raised more than $289,000. The fund has a set goal of $999,000 that the campaign says will be used for TV ad buys.